Book Rut

If you've known me then you know that I am a huge book worm. I love getting into a good book and I can usually read them extremely fast. Unfortunately, I've been in a rut and I found myself taking on way too many books at once...my bad. I am currently in the middle of four different books! I'm really almost done with one but I certainly took on too many.

I'm really good with two books at a time, I have no problem with keeping track but obviously it is a no go. The worst part is I can't seem to gather up enough interest to really plow through any of them. It is very unlike me to be lackluster on getting through books.

I think what I'm going to have to do is just pick one book and put the others on the back burner. I don't forget what I read very easily so I think it will be a good strategy.

Does this ever happen to you guys? What do you do to fix it?

Here's the four books I'm working on!

 

What is Dating?

It seems like a simple enough question...what is considered "dating"? However, as one would imagine after you've been in a few relationships you can see that things aren't so black and white. Interestingly enough I was talking to my mom and brother about this one and I was pretty intrigued by what my brother had to say.

My brother is a pretty smart guy and he's a lot more grown up than I give him credit for. (He may have just turned 20 but he'll always be my little brother!) In his opinion, dating was when two people where exclusively together. Like if he had a girlfriend, then they would be "dating". I on the other hand was under the impression that dating was more of a casual thing and it didn't mean you had to be together in a relationship.

I would have assumed that my idea of dating would match more with what guys think than what girls think. Obviously, my brother isn't the end all be all but what do you guys think?

When you are dating someone in my sense of the word, is it necessary to be exclusive or are you allowed to see other people until one of you says otherwise? Or is dating reserved for couples?

I think on a social aspect it is a really interesting concept. If my memory serves me right, when I was younger, all my friends and I believed that if you dating someone, then it was just you two. Anything else was just considered, "hanging out". Then again relationships at any age younger than 18, I'm not so sure we really knew what we were talking about ;)

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

February Birchbox

So I got my Birchbox the other day and I honestly, feel like it has been forever since I got my last one. Although I have to admit, this one wasn't the most thrilling I've ever received, unfortunately it seems like Birchbox is getting a bit stale and stingy. Also, I might be wrong but I think they reused this theme or it might just be but all their themes are pretty similar now.

Naturally, the first thing I noticed in the box was the Ghiradelli Square. I actually love this kind of chocolate and I do love it with caramel. So this was a nice treat, but seriously one square is never enough.

Then just as usual, there is a perfume sample. My god am I sick of perfume samples, especially Juicy Couture. I have 3 or 4 different samples from them. They all smell about the same and it doesn't even qualify as a smell I'd want to smell everyday. I do like this particular one and full size ranges from $19 to $90.

The best thing in this box may have been the Hot Mama blush by the Balm. This is a tiny sample I will admit but I do like this color. It reminds me a lot of Nars Orgasm, but more coral/orange rather than pink. Full size is $20.

It is very pigmented and the shimmer is awesome but what impressed me more was it's ability to sheer out so easily.

This was also something I was intrigued in was this Catwalk Your Highness Root Boost Spray by Tigi. This is a huge sample for Birchbox and hair samples. This is 2.5 oz and a full size is $14.95 which is really affordable. I love when drugstore finds are put it the box because drugstore cosmetics can be just as good if not better than high end cosmetics!

Something I always get excited for is foundation samples. I was happy to see this Dr. Jart Black Label Detox BB cream. While the color is great and in no way gray it sunk into the lines of my hand immediately. I'll have to try it on the face but I have a feeling if you have any dry skin it will make it show up quite badly. The full size is $36.

Update: I did try this twice on my face and it was awful. It is just way too dry for my skin and I don't even have dry skin! Also, the sample had only enough for two uses which is bull - the entire thing was pretty much air. Very disappointed.

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I really have to think about staying with Birchbox, because while it is only $10 it isn't what it was in the beginning. I have heard good and bad about a lot of subscription services, it is just hard to find one that has everything to make you happy!

What are your thoughts? Do you have a favorite service?

Get The Look: Valentine's Day Makeup

Hello and Happy Valentine's Day!  Today I did my make-up and I thought it was pretty cute for the occasion and could be used for day and night, so I'm going to share it with you. I will go through every step and tell you colors so if you don't have a specific eyeshadow, it is okay just use something similar.

 

Face

For my face I put on a face moisturizer and then because I've been sick and it is just so darn cold, I used Bobbi Brown's Tinted Moisturizing Balm in Medium (it is a little dark for me but it blends out well). Over top that, I put on Revlon's Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup in 220 Nude. This is much more pigmented and the coverage is nice, plus their colors are right on!

Eyes

So here is the fun part! I put Sephora's Retro Powder Puff all over my lid and into my crease. You have to build it up but the color is a beautiful pink. In the crease I put the color African Violet from the Lingerie Palette by Laura Mercier, it is a gorgeous purple with gold shimmer. However, I wanted a little more depth so I took Garnet from the Lorac Pro palette (a.k.a my hands down favorite palette) and put that in the crease over top the African Violet.

I threw Pale Pink from the Lingerie Palette on my brow bone because it is a great color but it is also matte which takes the shimmer down a little. As an added hint of sparkle I went in with Gold and Nude from the Lorac Pro Palette and put them both in the center of my eyelid and blended.

After some Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque and the Concealer in Warm Ivory I used Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in the Illuminator shade. I have terrible dark circle, most genetic, so I have to pile it on most days.

For eyeliner I used Stila's Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in intense black on the lid and Stila's Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Damsel on the outer waterline. Finally, I applied Buxom Lash Mascara!

Cheeks

On my cheeks I used Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush in DollFace - this perfect darker baby pink. Then just above that I dusted Too Faced's Candlelight Highlighter. I didn't feel like I needed bronzer and honestly, I don't want to pile on stuff all over my face.

I did put some translucent powder on but forgot to do it before I took the pictures...oops sorry!

Eyebrows

Finally, I used some brow powder by Anastasia in dark brown and a small brush to fill in my brows. I've been trying to grow them out for a while but I think they are due to get some TLC soon :)

So there you go! Again sorry for the shiny face, but there is always something I forget to do haha

What are your Valentine's Plans?

Valentine's Day Playlists For Everyone!

Hey you love birds! Valentine's Day is upon us and some of us love it and some of us hate it. So I thought I'd give both the lovers and the haters a present. Here is my picks for a pro-Valentine's playlist and an anti-Valentine's playlist.

Honestly, I love both and all the songs are amazing so take a peek at both no matter who you are. I personally don't have any plans :( but I do think I have a Valentine so that makes me happy :)

My family will be celebrating my brother's birthday which is Valentine's Day so it won't be a total bore!

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Blizzercane Nemo

Yeah, some news channels have been calling the most recent dump of snow on the Northeast, Blizzard Charlotte, however the Weather Channel went rogue from the government this time and named it Nemo. Obviously, this is far better than we could have expected and it gives the interwebs tons more options for gifs. Just type Nemo into Tumblr and have fun!

This blizzard did not treat anyone well, we have so much snow and even though it's off the roads it is making driving a total pain in the butt. You can't see oncoming traffic and it is a little nerve wracking. When I went to help shovel after the storm had passed it was up to my waist on me and I am 5 foot 3 inches! So you can imagine how troublesome the snow would have been for oh say my one foot dog :-P

The cruel person in me had to put Charlie on top of the snow to see how far he'd sink, and he had no problem. You saw the top of his back and his head sticking out and he just tipped himself over till he rolled out of the snow haha

What surprised me about the storm more than anything was the wind. The winds were pretty much gusting to hurricane strength in a lot of areas and it made everything about 10 times harder to deal with. There were a number of casualties caused by the storm and my heart go out to those families. You have to remember though, if you have older relatives, go help them don't let them fend for themselves. That poor 80 something women should never have been snow blowing, especially at night and yet she was hit and killed. Using a little common sense goes a long way, and even though the death toll isn't all that high, I can guarantee most of them could have been prevented. Sadly, right down the road from me a man was found frozen to death in his driveway. He must have suffered a stroke or heart attack and he was found later by someone else shoveling the driveway.

Here are some crazy pictures after the storm!

[caption id="attachment_1109" align="aligncenter" width="560"] When I started shoveling :)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1110" align="aligncenter" width="560"] About half way through shoveling...[/caption]

Any whoozle, I do have some posts coming up, but just like every Winter I can only go about a week without being sick. I now have Strep! But not just any kind of strep...group c strep. It is a rarer form which can be deadly for elderly and children and just all around dangerous. Also, it is more commonly found in animals - don't ask me, I don't want to know myself. So I've been the perfect picture of death for the last few days and I am finally now on antibiotics!

Look out for a Birchbox post, a possible beauty haul post, and some technology posts!

Stay warm!

Murphy Update

Hey guys, I'm sorry for the lack of posts recently, but as you know my dog Murphy has been really sick and my entire family has been so busy worrying and taking care of him. 

He had surgery on Tuesday and they opened his bladder to take out all the big stones and they cut his ureter open and left it because he had stones so embedded in there they couldn't possibly move them. 

I know it is graphic, but the only way I can describe it, is that it looks like they stuck his bottom half in a meat grinder. It is truly terrible and honestly it makes my heart stop every time I see what was done to him. He truly needed the surgery but the road a head of us is going to long.

He has stitches and staples both of which don't come out for three weeks, which means he is stuck in a cone for those three weeks. Unfortunately, we think he may have popped a stitch already so he may have to go under to get it fixed. At 13, he still amazes me because I never thought he'd be doing as well as he is. He cries, and he is confused and scared but I imagined so much worse. 

It makes me feel foolish for all the times I've complained or said I couldn't do something because I look at this creature who can't communicate efficiently to us and yet he is the bravest thing in the world. The fact that he's so much calmer than I expected has made me a little more calm. 

It feels selfish, but I want him to push through these next three weeks and enjoy the last bunch of years he's got. I honestly in my gut think he's got a whole lot more to live and this was just a hurdle for him, albeit an unfair one and not something any of us including him deserved. But, if I've learned anything from this, I've seen how much love and compassion my parents and my family have for a dog and it makes me realize, if this is just for our dog...then I can't even imagine the love they must have for each other and for me. That makes me certain that everything will be okay. 

Puppy Love

I don't have to tell you that the love you can have for a pet is indescribable. They become your fuzzy family members and friends, not just the dog or cat. I post a lot about Charlie, my 1 y/o Dachshund but someone not seen as often is my family's dog, Murphy. 

Murphy is 11 and he is half Border Collie and half Australian Shepard. He is a very good dog, probably the best we've ever had and we've had a lot. He never went to the bathroom inside, he went on walks with my dad, and he always stuck around if you were sick. When he was young, he had a vendetta against the couch cushions because if we left and came home, they'd all be off the couch. 

This weekend has been a total wake-up call for us though. He is really sick, and there is avery real chance we could lose him. About a month ago we found out he had extremely severe and massive kidney stones. The first thought was surgery, but they opted to change his diet and use a catheter. It took a lot of no eating and drinking and pain before he started getting better. 

Yesterday, he got worse all of a sudden. He couldn't pee, he was always hunched over, and breathing hard. He was throwing up everywhere and we had no choice but to bring him to the vet hospital, which was no real help last time and so extremely expensive. They put in a catheter and it didn't work so they had to use a needle on him. We couldn't afford to keep him there so we brought him home. We all ended up staying awake with him some point last night because our company kept him just a little calmer. 

Finally, we had to bring him back today and he had to stay tonight. His bladder is and was so swollen it was on the verge of bursting. The backup was starting to cause sepsis. The outlook isn't great because he is old and he may not do well with surgery. They could find something else in his surgery they weren't anticipating. 

We are all a wreck and I never prepared for this moment. We all knew he was older and that it could happen but it didn't feel real until now. Sure, we will have Charlie and we will still have the same sort of love for him, but even he will be losing his fuzzy buddy, or technically his uncle. I'm not ready for defeat yet, I still have faith that he could be alright. 

Just hug your pet tight tonight and maybe keep mine in mind while you do.

My Crazy Week and Friday Finds

Holy Batman was this week nuts.

I say that mostly because of work but still, it just never ended. It is hard sometimes to leave work at work. I have a pretty simple job, but we get so involved with these kids that sometimes their experiences and what you experience with them comes home. I can genuinely say that I really care about them and it bothers me when someone has a really rough day. Then again it also makes our days rough and we have to handle the situations.

I will miss doing it. I really love kids and I love working with them, and I think they see that any time I get frustrated, it isn't because I'm mad at them but that I want better for them. Plus, it isn't easy to keep up with them sometimes! They have a never ending supply of energy.

I'm glad the week is over now and I get to start fresh. Who else is watching the puppy bowl this Sunday? My mom and I have been so excited for it! I'll have little Charlie bear by my side rooting on the pups. There is one full dachshund and I think two half dachshunds.

Other than that, this should be a pretty quiet weekend.

Here are some Friday finds for your enjoyment :)

[caption id="attachment_1030" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo from Mashable.com[/caption]

Mashable did a "10 Liz Lemon Life Lessons" list and I love it. Liz Lemon/Tina Fey is my spirit animal. I adore everything Tina Fey does and when I grow up I'd love to be as cool as her. Go here to read the article.

[caption id="attachment_1031" align="aligncenter" width="236"] Photo from BlackBerry.com[/caption]

Also, if you've missed it Blackberry has announced some new phones and a new operating system! I have never had a Blackberry nor will I ever but it is nice to see a company innovate. We have heard very little from them and they do still have a loyal following. Above is the new BlackBerry Z10 their new touchscreen smartphone, and it does look pretty cool.

[caption id="attachment_1032" align="aligncenter" width="250"] Photo from Sephora.com[/caption]

In the beauty world, there have been a lot of exciting product releases going on. However, one that I am very intrigued by is Make-Up Forever's new foundation, the Pro-Finish Multi Use Powder Foundation. It can be used dry or wet, and it looks amazing. If used dry, it is a full coverage and if used wet the coverage sheers out. I will have to give it a try.

[caption id="attachment_1033" align="aligncenter" width="236"] Photo from Urbandecay.com[/caption]

Also just released by Urban Decay are the two palettes for the new movie "Oz". They released The Theodora Palette, which represents the bad witch and the Glinda Palette and these are awesome. It is six shadows, two of which are dual colors, a 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil and a Saturated High Gloss Color. And best part? It retails for $49! Check them out here! It is such a bargain and xsparkage does two amazing first impressions videos on both palettes. Not only that but her channel is incredible so definitely check her out!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NwQ7w_iBFc&w=560&h=315]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh0K7EFk1Ow&w=560&h=315]